Pay Attention: Watch Out For How Birth Defect Litigation Is Taking Over And What Can We Do About It

Why You Should Hire a Birth Defect Lawyer

If your child was born with a birth defect this can cause a lot of grief for your family as well as you. Medical bills, therapy expenses and other expenses can add up quickly.

A Hyattsville birth defect lawyer could help you file claim for compensation for the expenses of caring for your disabled child. A legal claim for birth defects can be complex, so you should consult a lawyer as soon as possible.

Medical Malpractice

Medical professionals must adhere to a standard of care when treating pregnant women or their babies. If a doctor's actions fall below this standard and result in a birth defect or injury and/or death, they may be held responsible for damages sustained by their patient. A DC lawyer who has expertise in lawsuits for birth defects will help you determine whether your child's condition was caused by a medical error during pregnancy or during delivery.

A doctor may be liable for an injury to the fetus if they fail in diagnosing or properly respond to fetal distress. This can result in a number serious problems including hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy as well as brain injuries such as cerebral palsy.

Birth injuries differ from birth defects in that they are caused by circumstances during pregnancy, delivery, or labor. Injury can include Erb's Palsy where the nerves that control the infant's arms and limbs are stretched or torn. Another form of injury is caput succedaneum - swelling of the scalp. Both can result in permanent disability, and continued treatment will cost a lot of money. A Washington, DC birth defect lawyer will provide a no-cost initial consultation to review your case and determine the most appropriate option for you and your child.

Prescription Drugs

A birth defect attorney may help parents determine the root cause of a child's birth defect. While many birth defects are the result of genetics and factors during the mother's pregnancy however, they can also be caused as a result of medications. Certain common medications can have negative effects on fetuses. This is particularly relevant in the first three months of pregnancy. This includes anti-nausea medication, NSAIDs, chemotherapy medications, certain antibiotics, and many more. These medications have been proven to increase the risk of developing limb and heart defects, brain deformities, and craniosynostois.

It is a doctor's professional duty to consider the potential risks when prescribing medications for pregnant women. If doctors fail to follow this standard of care, then they could be held accountable for negligence. Pharmaceutical companies can be held accountable for not adequately informing mothers of the risks associated with their medications. Zofran is a medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients, has been found to increase the risk of major defects in first-trimester pregnancy.

A birth defect attorney can assist a family to obtain compensation for medical expenses, loss of income and quality of life. This can include doctor's, hospital, pharmaceutical, and other costs, as well as aidive devices and therapies.

Chemical Exposure

A birth defect lawyer can bring an action on behalf families of children with congenital disabilities that result from the negligence of businesses that expose pregnant women to chemicals or drugs that cause birth defects. They are trained to identify the cause of the birth defects so that they can bring a case against companies that expose pregnant women to teratogens at work or in their home.

Some of the exposures to chemicals that lead to birth defects are herbicides, fungicides, metals and other pesticides. These chemicals are known as Teratogens because they influence the healthy development of a fetus through chemical changes that can cause abnormal organs, or disrupt normal cell function. These chemicals are used in a variety of locations, such as processing of semiconductors and metal cleaning.

Other chemicals that can cause birth defects include hydrocarbons that are aliphatic, such as dichloroethane and trichloroethylene perchloroethylene. These chemicals have been found to cause birth problems, including cardiac disorders, in babies born to mothers exposed to them while in the womb.

Parents have filed lawsuits in order to make companies accountable for the families of soldiers in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to harmful chemicals. Some of these birth defect lawyers have won substantial settlements on behalf families who had their children born with severe defects because of the toxic chemical exposures at the base.

Environmental Exposure

Some birth defects can be caused by the combination of medical negligence as well as environmental conditions or chemicals. If a family is concerned that the birth defect of their child may result from medical negligence, prescription drug overdose or exposure to toxic chemicals, they should consult a DC birth injury lawyer to discuss the matter.

Chemicals and other toxins in the environment can cause serious birth defects when they are consumed by or absorbed by pregnant women. Teratogens are the name for these substances. More than 4 million chemicals are found in our food, air and water and a few could be harmful if they come into contact with pregnant women.

Arsenic in drinking water or cadmium from coal that is contaminated for instance, may cause birth defects as well as other health problems. Industrial solvents like benzene toluene and trichloroethylene (a metal degreaser) are also associated with certain birth defects. Glycol ethers, which are used in the production of silicon chips, semiconductors and video displays are known to increase a woman's chance of having birth defects as well.

LK's experienced birth defect attorneys have brought many lawsuits on behalf of children who suffered from a wide range of birth defects caused by the wrongful exposure to chemicals and toxic substances at workplaces or at home. These lawsuits are based on complex scientific analyses and expert witnesses such as toxicologists and epidemiologists.